Voting Rights

Co-Chairs: Jennifer J. Thomas and Carol K. Johnson

Group Mission/Purpose
  1. To protect the right and access to voting for all citizens. We will seek congregational support for voting rights efforts with education, witness and advocacy programs.
  2. To ensure that votes cast are counted and reported accurately. We will recruit members to be trained as election audit/review (recount) observers in Minnesota and participate in the national campaign for voter verifiable paper ballots and mandatory audits in all fifty states.

Proposed resolution (to take to your congregation) in support of AUW and MUUSJA's Protecting Voting Rights Campaign:

Whereas our Unitarian Universalist principles call upon us to affirm:
Our 5th Principle - the right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregation and in society at large
Our 1st Principle - the inherent worth and dignity of every person
Our 6th Principle - the goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all
Our 7th Principle - Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

Whereas AUW's Centennial celebration in 2005 renewed our commitment to our foremothers who fought for suffrage;

Whereas compromised voting systems in other states that prevent independent verification of results can cancel out the accurate results from Minnesota's votes for national office;

Whereas serious election irregularities documented in many other states have eroded bipartisan confidence in the accuracy of our national elections;

Whereas election integrity is foundational to achieving policies that serve the common good;

BE IT RESOLVED that [your congregation's name here] supports:
The principles of secure, accurate, verifiable and accessible elections including voter-marked paper ballots and mandatory random audits sufficient for statistical confidence in all states;
The AUW/MUUSJA Voting Rights Campaign actions and their delegation presenting an Action of Immediate Witness (AIW), at General Assembly (GA) in June 2007 endorsing reform efforts to achieve these principles at federal and state levels.